For a long time, arylpoly(oxalkyl) quaternary ammonium substances have been used as wetting agents, emulsifying agents, dispersing agents and detergents because of their excellent properties. Because of their bactericidal and antifungal activities, these surface-active substances are widely used as cosmetic antiseptic, sanitizer and fungicide used in dairy and food enterprises, clinical reagents and pharmaceutical aids for measuring the protein content. A typical substance is benzethonium chloride. It has a broad-spectrum microbe-killing effect and is stable within comparatively wide pH and temperature ranges. Thus, it is widely used in a variety of products for sterilization, disinfection, sanitation and washing of equipment, etc. In addition, it also has a very broad prospect in cosmetic additives application.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,115,250 and 2,229,024 provide methods for preparing relevant substances. According to the prior art, arylpoly(oxalkyl) amine substances are usually prepared by reacting equimolar quantity of a phenol and a dihalopolyalkylene ether under reflux in an alkaline condition. The resultant product then reacts with an amination reagent. After the completion of the reaction, amine hydrohalide is neutralized by a hydroxide of an alkaline earth metal. According to this method, reactions in both steps involve high temperature and comparatively long reaction time, and have rigorous requirements on the temperature resistance and pressure resistance of the equipment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,794,543 provides a process for preparing aryl poly(oxalkyl)benzyl-dimethylammonium derivatives by reaction of aryl poly(oxalkyl) halides with benzyl dimethylamine or substituted benzyl dimethylamine in a suitable solvent. Although it is declared by this invention that the preparation process is simplified, the practical application also relates to the preparation of the used raw material—aryl poly(oxalkyl) halides. Moreover, collection and purification of the resultant quaternary ammonium substances are too complicate, and there are also problems relating to long reaction time under high temperature, and temperature resistance and pressure resistance of the reaction equipment.